1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus wherein an image reading portion is provided in a spaced relationship with a top surface of an image forming portion.
2. Description of Related Art
An image forming apparatus has been available which includes an image reading portion having a document table provided approximately above an image forming portion. In an image forming apparatus having such a structure, a structure has been proposed in which the surface of the document table of the image reading portion is positioned at an acute angle in order to prevent a temperature rise such that a heated atmosphere in the vicinity a fixing device and a recording paper discharge section is exhausted from an exhaust port provided in an obliquely upper rear surface (for example, refer to JP-A No. 2003-298792).
However, in the structure shown in FIG. 5 of the above-mentioned JP-A No. 2003-298792, since a duct including an intake vent (inlet port 205a) and an exhaust vent (outlet port 205b) is provided on a side surface of a supporting portion for supporting the image reading portion, there is concern that the strength of the supporting portion turns out to be insufficient.